Words to the Wise

Curing a Deadly Habit

The Tobacco Dependence Program, supported by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and School of Public Health, provides help for those who want to quit smoking.

Two programs help people quit smoking and screen for lung cancer.

The Tobacco Dependence Program provides help for those who want to quit smoking. The program, supported by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and School of Public Health, is free and open to those living or working in New Jersey. For information, call 732-235-8222 or visit tobaccoprogram.org.

Smoking is the greatest risk factor in lung cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. To promote early detection, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey has partnered with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and University Radiology to offer $99 lung cancer screenings for those at high risk (current or former smokers or those with a history of chronic lung disease). For information, 732-235-5947 or cinj.org/lungcancerscreening.

Sexual Healing

A hotline at New Jersey Medical School answers questions about STDs.

For answers to questions about AIDS, HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and hepatitis, call the NJ AIDS/HIV/STD Hotline at 800-624-2377. Health care professionals are available around the clock with information about prevention, counseling, and treatment. The hotline also provides information about testing site locations and other services. Free testing is available. You can also text 8006242377@njpies.org or talk anonymously with a counselor through njhivstdline.org. Calls are free and confidential. The hotline is part of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES) at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Caring for the Caregivers

Two services help families cope with assisting elderly relatives at home.

Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC) has several programs to help families caring for older adults. Its Alzheimer’s resource center offers support services throughout the state for family caregivers, including education, referrals, and resource information. The center is staffed by social workers experienced in dementia care. For information, call 800-424-2494.

Getting a Clue to Avoid Flu

New app provides the latest on flu outbreaks and vaccinations.

A new, free app—called Flu-Trackr—gives you all you need to know about flu outbreaks, from a weekly flu tracker map to whether you are at high risk for symptoms and complications. Integrated into Facebook and Twitter, Flu-Trackr is also a useful reminder for “users that their friends are getting vaccinated,” says Sourav Sinha, a student at Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences who helped develop the app, which earned second prize in “Go Viral to Improve Health,” a national student contest sponsored last year by the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering.